<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>It's A Free World by deakysrog</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24508624">It's A Free World</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/deakysrog/pseuds/deakysrog'>deakysrog</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Bass Playing Ace [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Queen (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Asexual Character, Asexual John Deacon, Fluff, Fuck Toxic Masculinity, Gen, Pride Parades, Team as Family, brian is just along for the ride, freddie is so proud, john loves his friends, roger is a randy bastard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:20:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,984</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24508624</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/deakysrog/pseuds/deakysrog</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It was almost overwhelming, how joyful it was. John was completely in awe. Everyone there was celebrating and being unapologetically themselves, and they did it in a gorgeous manner. Every speck of his vision was filled with color, his eardrums were almost bursting from all the cheering, and yet he found himself nearly the happiest he could ever remember.</p><p>He stood watching the floats and the dancers pass by, each and every one of them celebrating the freedom to love. Most of them were flooded with rainbows, and he caught glimpses of some other pride flags here and there, which he smiled at.</p><p>Suddenly, the street in front of him was covered with people in purple, holding banners with triangles and waving flags just like the one on his shoulders.</p><p>aka deaky and the boys go to their first pride. cuteness ensues.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>John Deacon &amp; Brian May, John Deacon &amp; Brian May &amp; Freddie Mercury &amp; Roger Taylor, John Deacon &amp; Freddie Mercury, John Deacon &amp; Roger Taylor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Bass Playing Ace [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1810423</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>It's A Free World</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>happy pride month!! (even though it's literally the last day of june lol)</p><p>I've been working on this fic for far too long as I could never find the inspiration to finish it, so therefore it isn't really something I'm proud of. I figured I might as well post it anyway, but it's definitely not my favorite thing I've written!! sorry about that</p><p>also my apologies if john seems a bit ooc, I noticed I've been sort of writing him as myself and with my experiences as an ace person, instead of staying so true to how I imagine he would really act irl, which does make me a bit frustrated. oh well, it's my story, and it's fiction, so I suppose I can do whatever I want haha</p><p>once again, sorry this is so sucky! I just wanted to publish it before pride month was over</p><p>title is from play the game by queen</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was already June. When John was younger, it would have been the end of school and the beginning of the summer holidays, but this year it meant something different. June was suddenly a whole month to celebrate his newfound identity.</p><p>Now that he was out to his friends, he was determined to celebrate pride month in its entirety. And that included attending the pride festival being held in London in the middle of the month. John usually wasn't the one to enjoy big parades or public celebrations like that, but this time it was more personal. He was also pretty curious to actually meet other queer people, rather than just speaking through social media.</p><p>Of course, he didn't want to go alone. He'd absolutely adore it if his bandmates went with him. He was just extremely unsure of how to bring it up in conversation.</p><p>It was two weeks until the London pride parade. The four boys of Queen were crammed together around the tiny couch, watching a movie of Freddie's choice. Some cheesy teen flick called Love, Simon. It definitely wasn't John's first choice, but he didn't hate it.</p><p>He was currently sitting on the floor, practically in Roger's lap as the latter was leaning up against the couch. Freddie and Brian were laying on opposite ends of the sofa, their legs tangling together in the middle. All of them were draped in massive blankets, and the sheer coziness of his position had John almost nodding off.</p><p>He leaned back into Roger, resting against the drummer's chest with a sigh. Roger slipped his arms underneath John's, joining his hands together so they rested on the bassist's stomach, which effectively held John in his grasp.</p><p>Freddie, meanwhile, was poorly attempting to hold back his tears as they watched the protagonist meet his online lover for the first time. The others pretended not to notice as he wiped at his watery eyes.</p><p>Soon, the credits began to roll across the screen and both the oldest boys were sitting up and stretching. John tried to stifle a yawn, feeling too comfortable to move from where Roger was holding him. Brian smiled down at the two youngest cuddled up on the floor, Roger's chin resting on the top of John's head.</p><p>"Dare I say, one of the better choices this month," Freddie said happily. Brian softly nodded in agreement, rubbing at his drooping eyelids.</p><p>"Yeah, not bad Fred," Roger chimed in. John simply let out another silent yawn, too tired and comfy to voice his opinion.</p><p>Suddenly, an idea popped into his sleepy brain. Was now the best time to ask them? They had just finished watching a romantic, gay, coming of age movie, it was almost certain the others would say yes to a pride festival after that.</p><p>No, he decided as Roger hauled him off the floor and pulled him back to their shared room, this was best to be left until morning. Besides, they were all much too tired and probably wouldn't even be able to process his question.</p><p>Tomorrow, he resolved. Yes, he'd ask them all tomorrow.</p>
<p></p><div>
  <p>-- --</p>
</div><p>He never asked. He'd forgotten at breakfast, and then they'd all headed off to class or the stall for the day. None of them had gotten home until late that evening, and by the time John had remembered again, everyone was already gone to bed.</p><p>Days passed, and John just kept failing to remember. He kept telling himself to do it the next morning, but his memory was continuously blanking on him. It was only when he saw something on his phone about the festivities being held in less than a week that he blurted out, "Could we go to pride? Together?"</p><p>Freddie, the only other person in the room, looked up at John with surprise from where he was immersed in his drawing. "What now?"</p><p>John avoided Freddie's gaze, looking down with a blush spreading over his cheeks. "If it's not too much trouble, I'd, uh, like to go to the pride parade. It's a few days from now." He fidgeted with his phone in his hands nervously.</p><p>Freddie's eyes lit up, and his face shifted into a careful smile. "Is it really?" He asked wryly. John looked up at him with a neutral expression. "Well of course we're going, darling. It's an annual tradition!" He proclaimed.</p><p>John stared blankly at him. "But we've never gone before," he commented,</p><p>The singer laughed out loud at that. "You mean you've never gone before. I know everything there is to know about pride, I could practically be the king of gay rights! Or the queen, rather." He chuckled brightly. The bassist looked at him, slight shock evident in his expression. Freddie rolled his eyes. "Surely after all this time you didn't think I wasn't at least a little queer, did you?" He grinned cheekily at John, who simply gave him a shy smile in return.</p><p>He set down his sketch, jumping up and grabbing a hold of John's wrist. "Come on, I've already started on a few outfit ideas, and I simply must have your opinion on them."</p><p>He yanked John in the direction of him and Brian's bedroom, John simply laughing and allowing himself to be pulled along.</p>
<p></p><div>
  <p>-- --</p>
</div><p>Ever since Freddie announced to the entire house that they would be attending London pride, he'd been obsessing over every tiny detail of the upcoming day.</p><p>"Honestly mate, he's driving me up the wall," Roger grumbled on the morning of the parade, after he'd been ambushed by the singer to try some colorful makeup looks. The blonde had refused, arguing with Freddie all morning over how he simply did not want an entire rainbow on his eyelid.</p><p>John just smiled into his teacup, while Brian huffed and kept his eyes on his laptop. Roger scowled. "You're just smug he's leaving you alone. You wouldn't be gloating if he was forcing you to wear glittery spandex!"</p><p>Brian paused his typing and looked over at Roger, his eyebrows raised over his glasses. "He's putting you in what now?" He asked mockingly.</p><p>Roger sputtered, his face turning bright red. "He's not - that's not what I - oh, forget it," he glowered, standing out of his seat at the kitchen table and stalking off to him and John's room.</p><p>John made eye contact with Brian, and the guitarist let out a snort of laughter before they both started snickering at Roger's expense. After all, Freddie hadn't mentioned anything to them about ridiculous outfits he wanted them to wear.</p><p>The dark-haired man in question suddenly appeared in the kitchen, catching them both off guard. "What are you two laughing at?" He asked accusingly, looking them each in the eye. "I do hope it's not poor Roger. You should have seen the look on his face when I suggested how ravishing he would be in a bit of eyeliner." John and Brian gave each other suggestive looks while grinning hugely.</p><p>Brian rolled his eyes sarcastically, still smirking. "Never mind him, Fred. He's just jealous he can't pull it off as well as you," he chuckled.</p><p>Freddie sniffed, turning up his nose. "Damn right. Blondie knows his place, I suppose." John giggled at that.</p><p>The singer then clapped his hands abruptly, startling them both. "Now then! I have some presents for you two. Hold on one second, I'll be right back." He dashed off into the room where he had just come from, and appeared a second later holding a reusable grocery bag. The other two looked at him strangely, wondering what could be inside.</p><p>"Brian, dear, as much as it pains me, I know you'd like to appear more subtle, so I've simply gotten you these," Freddie said, reaching into the bag as he spoke. He pulled out a white t-shirt with a rainbow on it and a pair of converse with rainbow laces.</p><p>Brian looked at him, surprised. "Wow, I - thanks Fred, you didn't have to buy me anything," he said sheepishly. He still accepted the gifts gratefully, unfolding the shirt and holding it up in front of him.</p><p>"Oh nonsense, of course I did! You can't be roaming the streets at the biggest party of the year dressed in that drab you normally wear." Freddie waved him off as the guitarist admired the clothes.</p><p>He then looked at John, giving him a gentle smile. "And John, darling, this is a gift from me to you." He rummaged inside his bag for a moment. "I wasn't quite sure what you'd like, but I saw this and thought it would be enough." He pulled out a bundle of fabric with a flourish, and John instantly recognized the colors in his hand. He had to hold back a gasp as Freddie spread the banner out proudly, holding it out for John to see.</p><p>The bassist could just stare, his jaw falling open slightly in shock. "Freddie," he whispered, standing up and reaching out his fingers to brush the edge of the flag. Freddie handed the fabric to John, his smile growing ever wider.</p><p>John delicately grabbed the corners and held the flag out in front of him. Black, grey, white, and purple hung in the air, and he admired them with awe.</p><p>"These are also for you, not sure if you'll want them since you have that but I thought I'd get them anyway." Freddie held two round pins in his palm, one bearing the same four colors as the flag, the other replacing the purple stripe with two different shades of green.</p><p>John gently took the pins from the singer's hand, turning them over in his own. After a pause, he breathed, "Thank you. Really."</p><p>Freddie beamed at his praise. "You two go change, I'm going to go get ready myself." He smiled happily and skipped off towards the door to his room. Brian and John shared a look, both not entirely sure what to think. The older gave John an easy smile before standing and following Freddie down the hallway.</p><p>John held onto his gifts and turned them over in his hands, still slightly in awe by Freddie's kindness. He headed towards his own room with a shy smile, where he expected to find Roger sulking after the blond had stomped off earlier. Instead, he opened the door to see the drummer spraying some sort of temporary hair dye into his locks.</p><p>John blinked, his expression reading equal parts confused and amused. Roger just stared back, the aerosol can he was holding frozen above his head. After a few awkward beats, he found his voice.</p><p>"Well are you going to just stand there? I need help getting the back of my head."</p><p>John peered at him strangely, choosing not to question the drummer's unusual ideas. He sighed, setting his bundle on his bed and walking over to Roger and the mirror. Roger handed him the bottle, and John dutifully began to color Roger's scruffy blond hair a bright blue. The chemicals in the hairspray made his eyes water and his lungs ache, and he coughed a multitude of times while spraying at the back of Roger's head.</p><p>He finished quickly, setting the can down on the vanity. Roger's reflection gave him an appreciative smile. John simply coughed again, trying to back away from the cloud of fumes.</p><p>He walked back over to his bed, eyes still watery and red. He grabbed his flag and pins off his duvet and admired them for a second before beginning to put them on. He pinned the ace and aro colors to his shirt, and wrapped the flag around his shoulders so the stripes ran vertically down his back. He fastened it with a safety pin from his bedside drawer, and proudly turned to admire himself in the mirror.</p><p>"You look like a superhero," Roger remarked. "Saving the world from horniness, no doubt," he laughed.</p><p>John smacked his shoulder. "You wish, you randy bastard."</p><p>"Oi!" Roger yelped. "Alright, I get it." John simply sighed, turning away from his bandmate and walking out of the room as Roger went back to the mirror.</p><p>Brian had changed rather quickly as well, and was sitting on the couch looking at his phone. John sat himself down next to him, and Brian looked up at him as he arrived. He noticed that Brian had been smart enough to think of grabbing a backpack for his things, which was laying on the floor at the guitarist's feet.</p><p>"Could I put a water bottle in your bag?" He asked. Brian nodded, and John stood to grab his hydroflask off the counter. As he was filling it with ice from the freezer, he heard Freddie's voice floating down the hallway towards the main room. He turned around just as the singer walked into the room, and he nearly dropped his bottle out of shock.</p><p>"Good god, Fred!" Brian exclaimed, taking in Freddie's outfit. The dark-haired man was sporting a revealing tank top, some very short jean shorts, and a rainbow tutu made of mesh, leaving little to the imagination. There was a flag around his shoulders like John, except his was rainbow and it was hanging vertically like a cape. To top it all off, he had done up his face in full glam and had a pair of black, heeled boots on his feet.</p><p>John was speechless. He knew his friend was bold, but he didn't quite expect this from him. The only thing he could think to say was: "Those aren't the best shoes for walking around all day."</p><p>Freddie simply laughed, a glint in his eye. "Beauty is pain, darling," he responded gleefully.</p><p>"Your shorts are even shorter than Deaky's," Brian remarked, glancing at John who was comfortably donning his favorite pair of yellow cotton shorts. The bassist frowned slightly, and Freddie giggled at the cute expression on his face. </p><p>"They suit you, Deaky dear," Freddie said, beaming. He paused, noticing the absence of their resident drummer. "Where's Rog? I thought I'd definitely be the last one ready."</p><p>John snorted. "He's experimenting with some, uh, hair product," he remarked.</p><p>Roger chose that moment to step out of the bedroom. He froze as the other's eyes landed on him, none of them moving. He looked back and forth between his bandmates, his gaze lingering on Brian and Freddie who were taking in his new blue hairstyle with bewilderment. </p><p>There was a long, awkward silence.</p><p>"Well," Freddie said hesitantly, "I do hope that's not permanent."</p>
<p></p><div>
  <p>-- --</p>
</div><p>They arrived just as the parade was starting. They found a spot near the end of the route where there wasn't too many people yet, and were able to stand right up against the barrier. They were all practically bouncing in anticipation when the first of the floats came into view, and soon they were completely surrounded by exited people and noise.</p><p>It was almost overwhelming, how joyful it was. John was completely in awe. Everyone there was celebrating and being unapologetically themselves, and they did it in a gorgeous manner. Every speck of his vision was filled with color, his eardrums were almost bursting from all the cheering, and yet he found himself nearly the happiest he could ever remember.</p><p>He stood watching the floats and the dancers pass by, each and every one of them celebrating the freedom to love. Most of them were flooded with rainbows, and he caught glimpses of some other pride flags here and there, which he smiled at.</p><p>Suddenly, the street in front of him was covered with people in purple, holding banners with triangles and waving flags just like the one on his shoulders. John looked out, speechless, as he realized these people were just like him. And they were marching among all the other massive, important pride floats.</p><p>One of the girls holding a poster caught his eye, and she parted from the group to make her way over to him. "Hi!" She shouted, her voice nearly lost in the cheering of the crowd.</p><p>"Hello!" John yelled back, a grin on his face now.</p><p>The girl spread her arms wide, obviously going for a hug. John immediately pulled her into his embrace, and for a minute it seemed as if the entire parade disappeared. All that mattered in that moment was this girl, who was just like him. He tucked his head into her shoulder, pulling her impossibly closer, and she did the same.</p><p>After what must have been at least half a minute, John pulled away reluctantly. She made eye contact with him and broke into a massive smile. "Enjoy the parade!" She exclaimed, grinning widely.</p><p>"You too," John shouted back. She gave him one last smile before turning back to the parade and running to catch up with her group. John felt almost faint with happiness. There were more people like him here, giving him representation and a voice in this huge and beautiful community. He knew he had a stupid grin on his face, but at that moment he couldn't find it in himself to care.</p><p>"Did you know her?" Roger asked him loudly, his mouth much too close to John's ear.</p><p>"Nope," John said, shaking his head. Roger gave him a strange look, but shrugged and looked back out on the street. He gave a loud whoop and waved his little rainbow flag in the air wildly. John giggled lightly at his actions, and cast his gaze back onto the parade himself, watching the sea of rainbows pass by.</p>
<p></p><div>
  <p>-- --</p>
</div><p>The parade had ended, and the boys were now making their way downtown where the rest of the celebrations were being held. Freddie had somehow convinced Brian to give him a piggyback ride, and now he was being carried on the back of the grumbling guitarist towards the array of colorful tents up ahead of them. John and Roger were walking behind them, laughing at the sight of the oldest two.</p><p>As they arrived at the front gates of the festival, Freddie insisted they all take a picture together to post on the band's instagram. The others reluctantly agreed, and Freddie took a selfie of the four of them. Brian was in the middle, his long arms draped around John and Roger's shoulders. Roger stood next to Freddie, throwing up a peace sign with a huge grin. John was tucked underneath Brian, giving a shy smile.</p><p>As soon as they snapped the photo, Freddie uploaded it to social media and smiled as it already was getting a few likes. He stuffed his phone back in his pocket and directed them all forwards through the long lines that allowed them in. After a good while of waiting and security checks, they were let into the festival.</p><p>As soon as they stepped through the gate, Roger was dragging them towards the makeshift bar. John barely had time to glance at everything else before he was tugged away. "I need a beer," Roger clarified, a knowing look on his face.</p><p>Brian sighed as the blonde was handed an ice-cold can, which he immediately cracked open and took a long sip of. The others were all looking at him impatiently. "What?" He asked, his beer halfway to his mouth. Freddie just shook his head and grabbed the drummer's wrist.</p><p>"C''mon Rog, there's lots more to see than just drinks," the singer remarked as he led the group towards one of the colorful booths.</p><p>It turned out to be a group giving out information on transgender youth, which none of them had any relation to, but they were very supportive anyway. Brian still took one of their flyers.</p><p>They made their way around to all the vendors, snaking their way through the rows of tents and making sure to stop at every one. They happened to meet some fans of theirs, who they happily took photos with and had enjoyable conversations about why they were attending the festival. Freddie was elated to find out so many of their fans were queer, though he was a bit upset that Roger usually seemed to be their favorite band member.</p><p>Many of them were curious if this was the band's coming out. Brian bashfully replied that Roger and him were simply here to support the others, but he didn't really care if people assumed that about him. Roger just gave a big grin and wrapped an arm around John, exclaiming, "It is for Deaky over here!" At which John would blush deeply and try to shove some of the attention on Freddie.</p><p>When they got bored of the booths, the band wandered to the huge stage where many famous artists were performing live. They jostled their way into the middle of the huge crowd, Freddie and Roger leading the way and Brian following as he pulled John by the hand behind him. They danced around together in the sea of bodies, hopping up and down to the beat with the crowd. All of them felt giddy and carefree.</p><p>At one point, Freddie took Roger's hand and the two of them started swing dancing, flying through the air as they twirled each other around. They were laughing brightly, huge smiles on their faces and many of the people around them turned to watch the two boys dancing.</p><p>The four were lost in the excitement, overwhelmed by a feeling of pure happiness. They were all riding the high as they bopped around in front of the stage. The exhilaration and adrenaline in the crowd was intoxicating, and John felt somewhat overcome with emotion as he swirled through the crowd with his best friends by his side.</p><p>Freddie made eye contact with him, giving him a big grin as their gazes met. He pushed past a few swaying strangers to reach the youngest, and when he was close enough the singer reached out a hand towards him. John cautiously grasped it, pulling Freddie into his bubble.</p><p>The oldest looked into John's eyes, studying him intently before he nodded towards the outside of the pit. John scanned his face, confused. Freddie tugged at his hand, trying to pull them out of the dancing mob.</p><p>John spared a glance at their two other friends, who were completely invested in the singer performing on the stage. He looked back to the singer, nodding slightly and allowing himself to be led away. As soon as they were away from the crowd, Freddie dropped John's hand. They were at the edge of the festival area, and virtually alone. Only a few small groups of people and a couple staff members were idling around, all wrapped up in their own conversations.</p><p>"It's gorgeous, isn't it?" Freddie asked, breaking the silence between them. John looked at him curiously and nodded once in response.</p><p>"Yeah," he breathed, his mind still spinning from all the excitement.</p><p>Freddie looked him deep in the eyes, but his thoughts seemed far away. "All this, just for people like us," Freddie said softly. John could see him lost in his own mind, and he suddenly realized why the singer had pulled him away from the rest of the band.</p><p>"Not just like us, Fred," John responded gently. "It's for us, period. You and me. And we deserve it, at least I think so." He smiled shyly.</p><p>Freddie grinned, all his teeth on display. He wrapped an arm around John's shoulders and turned them towards the rest of the festival. The hoards of people were dancing, cheering, laughing, and celebrating loudly. They admired the scene for a few beats before Freddie shook John gently by his shoulders.</p><p>"You're damn right we deserve this," Freddie sighed with a smile. Both of their flags were fluttering on their backs as they stared out towards the stage and masses of people.</p><p>Though John couldn't see his face, as he was staring at the crowd, he was sure the oldest boy was glowing with pride.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>you can now reach me at my new-ish instagram (@deakys_rog) and twitter (@deakysrog) if you'd like to see some great photos of john and the boys or just say hi! (I'd love to meet more mutuals)</p><p>please let me know if you'd like to see more of this series, and I will totally write requests if you have any</p><p>I know non-slash fics don't always get the most attention, so just a reminder that comments and kudos make me flip and are very much appreciated :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>